I was so chuffed to be told my application to transfer to my company’s office in New York had been accepted. I had always wanted to live there, ever since watching Home Alone 2 as a kid, and had visited once a year for the last five years.

I loved it there, so the chance to live there was a dream come true. Then one of my mate’s reminded me that I wouldn’t be able to watch the football there. Or the cricket. Or the snooker. I’d have to find a love for baseball he said! I hate baseball. I went to see the Yankees play one time and was falling asleep until some guy spilt his beer all over me. Grr.

But my mate was right, so before I left I had to find a way to be able to watch my favorite sports in New York. Life wouldn’t be the same without them. I already had a Sky Subscription and often watched the Sport on their Sky Go service on my laptop in bed, or at a mate’s house. So I tried to work out how to make that work in New York. And the solution proved to be easier than I thought.

Why is Sky Go not available in USA?

Firstly, let me explain why Sky Go is not automatically available in the USA. Sky is a British broadcaster, and as it doesn’t make the majority of its own shows, it buys in the rights to broadcast them in the UK. The same is true of the sport and the movies that is shows.

However, such broadcasting rights are sold by country, and Sky therefore does not have the right to broadcast or stream their content outside the UK. Even the programs they make themselves will usually see their rights sold to one American broadcaster or another, so they can’t even show them.

But how to they stop people using their Sky Go online streaming service to watch? I had an account which I paid for in the UK, but I knew it wouldn’t work in New York. Why not?

Well the answer is by using a technique known as geo-blocking.

How is Sky Go Blocking Access in USA?

Geo-blocking is a pretty common technique. It involves the site you are visiting reading the data in your IP Address. This is a collection of data about you, which is broadcast to every website and online service you use. It includes various pieces of information, including where in the world you are located.

By looking at you IP Address, Sky Go can see if you are located in the UK or not. If it determines that you are not, you are automatically blocked from using their service.

The only way to get around this block, is to change your IP Address, so that you are telling Sky Go that you are located within the UK even if you are not.

And by far the best way to do this is by using a VPN. A VPN is a service which routes all your traffic anonymously through an external server. If that server is located in the UK, the IP address sites you visit will receive also suggests you are in the UK, and so you can watch Sky Go overseas.

Setting up a VPN is a very straightforward process as you will see if you follow my guide below:

How to Use a VPN to Watch Sky Go in USA

Step 1: Sign up for VPN

The first thing is to sign up for a VPN and, as I noted at the top of this article, my VPN of choice was ExpressVPN. So to start with, head on over to their website which you can do by clicking one of the links on this page.

Once there, you will have the option to choose from a range of subscription packages, depending on the length of time you will need the service and your budget.

After clicking on your chosen package, you will be redirected to the payment processing page where you can pay for your subscription using a wide variety of payment methods.

Don’t forget, if you are not completely satisfied, ExpressVPN offer a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Step 2: Download & Install VPN

Once you have made your payment, you will be invited to download the software onto your machine. Be sure to choose the right platform from ExpressVPNs extensive list and then follow the simple on-screen instructions to download and install it.

Some packages will allow you to download and install onto more than one device, and that option will be offered here to if you are eligible.

Step 3: Connect to UK-based Server on VPN

Once the software has installed, it should open automatically and you will have the option to connect to one of the many ExpressVPN servers. To watch Sky Go in the USA, you will need to be connected to one of their UK-based servers.

Step 4: Setup a Sky Go Account

For me, that was it. I could log into my Sky Go account from the comfort of my sofa in New York and watch all the Sky shows I wanted to.

If you don’t have a Sky Go account, the first thing you will need to do is visit their website and sign up for one. It is a relatively simple process to do this, you can choose which of their channels you want to be able to access, and pay using a variety of methods.

Once you have completed your subscription, you will be all set.

Conclusion

And there you have it. I was one of the only people in New York able to watch ball-by-ball coverage of England winning the Ashes, the football, and all my favorite TV shows as well.

I use ExpressVPN which I find the quickest and most consistent of all the VPNs I have tried. But if it isn’t the one for you, there are plenty more out here, and below you will see my pick of the top 5 to watch Sky Go in the UK.

Do let me know if this process works for you by commenting in the box below. I always like to hear other people’s experiences, and any problems they might have encountered along the way. Happy viewing people.